Garden Probiotics

About 5 years ago, my tomatoes and squash began to wilt, and eventually die. They looked to be suffering from thirst, and watering them helped, but did not reverse the wilting.  I sent soil and plant samples to the extension office at OSU and was told there was nothing harmful in the soil and that the walnut tree that is approximately 100 feet from the garden was to blame.

I created another garden space further from the walnut tree, and the first year was a success, but the same issue surfaced the second year.

After much research and many failed attempts to rectify the issue, a friend who gardens told me of beneficial nematodes, a type of organism that feeds on soil-based pests.  

Within one week of the first application, the problem began to reverse itself.  Now I apply these "probiotics" to my garden every spring.

What are Nematodes?

“Nematodes are microscopic, beneficial predatory worms that hunt down and kill pest insects but pose no threat to people, pets or plants. They won't harm beneficial insects, either. They're an environmentally friendly, non-chemical solution to get rid of grubs and many other soil-dwelling pests.” (~gardensalive.com).